Filling in the Holes (TV SHOW)
by islandwave91
Summary: Ichabod discusses his past with Abbie while filling in the bullet holes in his new home.


**I own nothing! Not the show or characters**

**Abbie has come over to Corbin's old cabin to help spackle the bullet holes, and eat a traditional lunch**

Abbie walks out of Corbin's old bedroom carrying sweat pants and a black Sleepy Hollow Police Department shirt. Ichabod is sitting at the table inspecting the spackling tools that Abbie purchased without him. "Here, these are for you. Not sure if they fit, but it'll work. I'm sure you don't want to ruin your clothes," Abbie said while handing him the outfit.

Ichabod grabbed the sweat pants from Abbie and immediately began inspecting it. "Ms. Mills, what is this material? It's soft, yet very thick. I fear that I'm not familiar with this material that seems so popular with people in this century."

"It's cotton, like the shirt you're wearing. They're called sweat pants. People wear them when they go running or do housework," Abbie explained?

"People…run? What exactly are they running away from," Ichabod asked. He could only imagine a person running if they were in a rush or in immediate danger.

"They're not running away from anything. We run for fun, or to get healthier," Abbie laughed.

"Times have certainly changed. Surely there are more suitable forms of recreation, other than running," Ichabod retorted.

Abbie knew they had a long day of spackling ahead of them, and she was not in the mood to explain physical fitness or fashion to Ichabod. "Crane, please hurry and change so we can get started," she ordered.

Ichabod reappeared wearing the gray sweatpants and black shirt. Ichabod was clearly uncomfortable and unsure of how he looked in these strange clothes.

"Looking good Crane. You should wear t-shirts more often, they look good on you," Abbie said.

With a renewed sense of confidence Ichabod strolled over to Abbie and awaited further directions. Abbie handed Ichabod a spackling knife and demonstrated how to fill in the holes. Ichabod was confused, but was too embarrassed to admit it. He figured he would mimic Abbie's movements if he couldn't remember to do next. There were nearly 200 holes in the wall, and it was surely take all day to finish.

….

After filling holes in silence for over an hour, Abbie began feeling a little nosy.

Abbie turned to Ichabod, who was hard at work and said, "So Crane, you seem to have no problem asking me about my life. How about we talk about yours? Where and when were you born?"

Ichabod was surprised at how quickly Abbie had come up with questions to ask him. "I was born on October 31, 1748 in Yorkshire, England," he replied.

"Aww, you're a Halloween baby," Abbie squealed.

"Pardon me? Is there something special about being born on October 31," he asked.

"Only if you like Halloween parties! Were you an only child? Tell me about your family," Abbie continued.

"I have, or had, five other siblings. Three older brothers and two younger sisters. Their names were James, Charles, Arthur, Agnes, and Ophelia. My father was a nobleman, Sir Thaddeus Crane, and my mother, Genevieve was of noble blood, but many considered her to be common," he explained.

"So you grew up rich? Why would you leave that behind and take a nasty, crowded boat ride to America," Abbie asked.

"I did have a privileged upbringing. We had a house full of servants, they did everything for us, and we never learned to do anything for ourselves. It seems as though I spent every waking moment learning how to be a gentlemen. Between attending parties and fox hunting, I rarely had any time for myself," he continued.

Abbie was afraid to bring up the subject, but she felt it was necessary. "I know that women didn't live very long in your time. Was your mother still alive when you left England?"

Ichabod looked down at his shoes, trying to avoid eye contact with Abbie. "No, two years before I left she died of consumption. It was a long, undignified death."

"Tuberculosis," Abbie whispered to herself.

Nearly half of the holes had been filled, and the cabin was looking more inhabitable with each whole filled in.

"We seem to have lived opposite lives. You privileged, and me an indigent, former criminal, and nearly-an-orphan. If partying and killing animals wasn't your thing, what did you like to do," Abbie asked while wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"I love to read, study languages, and dream of faraway lands and people. My mother often scolded me for being adventurous, she said it was "unbecoming of a gentlemen of my class," he laughed.

"So that's what drew you to Oxford? But if you were teaching, how did you end up in America," she questioned.

"I was drafted, but more importantly I volunteered. My brothers were drafted first, but due to my family's financial standing, they were able to avoid leaving England. Unlike them, I accepted my responsibility, and somewhat welcomed it. Ever since I was a boy I've wanted to live in the wilderness, run around scantly clothed, and eat worms for supper. Coming to the colonies was my way of living out my boyhood fantasy," Ichabod laughed.

"So, you were a repressed rich boy who loved books and wanted to spend his life eating worms? God, you're even more interesting than I thought," Abbie teased.

Abbie tried her best to imagine what Ichabod must have looked like when he lived in England. She was sure that the somewhat disheveled looking man working beside her looked nothing like the rich aristocratic Ichabod Crane he spoke of.

"Ms. Mills, I am feeling somewhat famished. Would you care to join me for lunch," Ichabod asked.

"Lunch? You made lunch," she said with a surprised tone.

"Why of course, how else am I supposed to eat? Surely you do not expect me to frequent that ghastly tavern you call 'McDonald's?' I made shepherd's pie and spotted dick," he said while dropping the spackling knife into the bucket.

"Crane we're eating spotted what? Did you say dick," Abbie frantically asked.

"Yes, spotted dick. Ms. Mills you seem flustered. Does the term dick mean something different in this century," he asked innocently.

"No Crane, it doesn't. I hope you're a good cook because I could eat a cow right now. Don't forget to wash your hands Crane; I don't want to die of chemical poisoning," Abbie said while walking to the kitchen.

Ichabod and Abbie washed their hands and sat down to a lunch of shepherd's pie and spotted dick that Ichabod had prepared earlier in the day. Abbie was apprehensive about eating strange food, but Ichabod was her friend and she knew he would never cook anything that would send her to the hospital, or morgue.


End file.
